Sarah Marshall, Multimedia Reporter

Two brothers who tortured and almost killed two young boys from Edlington have been granted lifelong anonymity by the High Court, it was confirmed a few moments ago.

Sir Geoffrey Vos has ruled that the two boys, who were aged 10 and 11 when they tortured two young boys in a case that shocked the country, should remain anonymous for the rest of their lives.

Sir Geoffrey told the court today that he was satisfied the anonymity order was in the public interest. He said he would outline his reasoning in writing at a later date.

The pair were sentenced to an indeterminate period in custody, with a minimum of five years, following the horrific incident in 2009 which became known as the Edlington Case, after the South Yorkshire former pit village where it happened.

They were released with new identities earlier this year when the Parole Board deemed them no longer a risk to the public.

The application for a lifelong anonymity order, which has now been granted, was applied for as the younger of the two brothers approached his 18th birthday, with lawyers acting for the pair claiming that identifying them would breach various sections of the Human Rights Act.

And on Friday High Court judge Sir Geoffrey Vos ruled that they should remain anonymous.

Phillippa Kaufmann QC was instructed by staff from the Office of the Official Solicitor, which helps vulnerable people involved in court cases.

The order bars journalists from revealing the brothers' original names or their new identities.

Their identity will remain a secret for the rest of their lives.

The brothers subjected two young boys to 90 minutes of 'prolonged, sadistic violence' in Edlington in 2009.

Their victims, who were 10 and 11, were battered with bricks and branches, cut, stamped on, kicked, punched and throttled.

One of the boys had part of an old ceramic sink dropped onto his head.

Pensioner Derek Wright, who went to the aid of the younger victim in 2009, said: "I still live that day now. I was a miner and I've seen people involved in accidents in the mines, but I've never seen anything like that, a child looking like that."

"I couldn't see him. All I could see was his little eyes and his mouth, but even his mouth was choked up with blood.

"He was just looking at me as if to say 'Help me', he was begging me."

"I call them (the brothers) animals but animals take care of their young. They didn't take care of anybody."

"If people had seen what I've seen, they would know that nobody in their right mind could do that to another kid. They will never change."

Mr Wright said he is still in contact with the boy he helped in his house seven years ago, and he added that he is now a 'fine young man'.